Cold weather Jacket suggestions.

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Blindstitch

New member
Hunting this past 9 day firearm deer season in Wisconsin had such varying temperatures that it blindsided my warmth.

The day before deer season opened at 5am it was -8 with a high of 20. Four days later it was 30 at 5am and warmed up to 45 and raining/snowing/sleeting. Sometimes the winds were up to 20mph and chilled off everything.

I have a decent Wall Jacket and bib set and wore two sweatshirts and a hooded sweatshirt under it.

If I moved I started sweating but if I sat for over two hours I started getting chills.

I have a budget of around $200 and I can multi purpose this jacket for ice fishing. Last year my setup worked fine for hunting and fishing. This year it didn't cut it. I was at cabelas friday and they had a Cabelas 10 point 4 in 1 parka but all it looked like was my current jacket under a rain jacket. Any help is appreciated.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabe...=GoogleProductAds&WT.z_mc_id1=03199334&rid=20
 
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T. O'Heir

New member
Most body heat is lost off the top of your head. Your feet get cold too? A good hat and boots is more important, but you have to think in terms of layers. And your coat must be clean to insulate properly. So if you didn't take it to the cleaners or whatever it needs, do that.
"...two sweatshirts and a hooded sweatshirt under it..." Is likely your problem. Too much vs too little. And no way of taking any of 'em off.
 
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jmr40

New member
Not sure my method will work at -8, especially if sitting in a tree stand, but I dress in multiple lighter layers. I don't think anything will keep you totally warm that cold if you're inactive. I've been out in temps down to the single digits and done just fine. Head and neck are most important. When I figured that out I no longer needed insulated boots. I wear a fleece facemask under a warm cap of some type when sitting still. Take it off when moving. A good daypack to carry clothes when not needed will stop the sweating. If you can stay dry, you'll stay a lot warmer. "Cotton Kills", I won't wear anything cotton. Once wet in the conditions you describe it is deadly. If temps are cold enough to never be above freezing it can be OK.

I don't wear long underwear bottoms when moving, but carry a set of ski-pants or something similar in a pack to put on when I sit. I wear 1-3 lightweight synthetic or wool long sleeve shirts under a light weight fleece jacket or vest when walking. A lightweight goose down, or synthetic jacket goes on over that when I sit, and if it is really cold or windy a windproof shell over it all.

I end up buying most of my gear from backpacking stores rather than hunting stores. You get much better quality for less money if it is not camo. Lots of stuff in green, black, brown or gray. The styles change and I have often bought really good stuff in July for 70-80% off the regular price because next fall's stuff was coming in.

I paid $30 for this jacket in dark gray a few years ago. They discontinued the color, so I got it cheap. Extremely warm, yet packs down to about 1/2 the size of a loaf of bread.

http://www.rei.com/product/871210/marmot-zeus-down-jacket-mens

In warmer, wetter conditions something similar with synthetic insulation is a better choice. Primaloft is a synthetic down substitute. Just as warm, but doesn't pack quite as small.

Facemask

http://www.rei.com/product/725892/outdoor-research-option-balaclava
 
R

riflemen

Moderator
Hunting gear depending on the area and season is all different, here locally when I am going out early to sit in a tree and its 20 degrees out, I will a first layer of under armour {they have scent control stuff too now, really nice}... Then I will wear a medium density pull over and a jacket, 3 layers that can suit me from 0 to 60 degrees... If its going to be on the warmer side I will just not take the jacket..

IMO all you need to hunt in most climates is..
3 pairs of pants 1 light material, 1 heavy, and 1 wet {I hunt bird and can end up standing knee deep in a pond}...

1 underarmour shirt first layer long sleeve

1 underarmour leggings

2 jackets 1 medium 1 heavy hooded

3 hoodies, light medium and heavy

hiking boots and wet boots
under armour has 95% of what you will need, well made stuff...

https://www.underarmour.com/en-us/s...our|57Wn1HvW&gclid=CLPl4sqco8ICFSEV7AodzkAAPg

Of course hats, gloves underwear and socks are a must too, I buy light ish socks then just layer them for the cold if need be...

I store everything together in one closet, so the scents from all the other clothes doesn't get too set in....
 
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Blindstitch

New member
Ok some more info.
I do believe in hats, gloves, boots, replacement felts and all the stuff around that. During the whole week I never had a problem with any of that stuff except when I walked the light hat would cause sweating. I had extra hats in the bag if needed. Gloves too.

I leave a stow bag where I hunt so I can add or remove layers. Always have.

I also wear synthetic thermal shirt and pants that allow wicking. I'm from northern Michigan and hunt and fish up there. I'm use to the cold but for some reason the stuff they are selling at most stores aren't good under 30 degrees.

I have half a mind to call ice armor and see if they make a cold weather icefishing jacket in camo.

When you have to walk up to 2 miles to the stand you don't want to be freezing when you get there.
 
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lefteye

New member
Most (all?) sweatshirts are made of cotton. Cotton is terrible for cold weather. It provides very little insulation, it absorbs perspiration and it dries very slowly. As a result of these characteristics a hunter wearing cotton in cold weather will be cold even if the hunter is not moving enough to sweat, and a hunter doing a lot of walking will sweat and be much colder. I learned the hard way over 40 years ago. When hunting in a tree stand (bow, shotgun or rifle) I walk in with a back pack that holds my hat, hood, insulated or wool vest, and jacket (insulated, if necessary).
 
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Barnacle Brad

New member
+1 ^^^^

I have made the mistake of hiking with too many layers and over heating. BAD... Once you soak your clothes in sweat, then stop and sit, you are going to freeze. Better in my opinion to be cold hiking then put on another warm layer after getting to your stand.

Another thought would be to change tactics. Dress warm and still hunt in a circle around your hunting area and back to your truck. If you have no luck, have lunch, warm up and take another circle after you rest.

I have nothing for you in terms of the right gear to try. I am either too cold or too hot, or vice versa...;)
 
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Blindstitch

New member
Thanks for the incite Barnacle Brad.

Usually when I hunt I hold a lot of the cards but this year I had none. The property where I hunted got a good deal of snow making it impossible to drive to areas that use to be easier to get to.

The first section I was going to hunt should have involved parking the car and walking 100 yards and done. That would have been a nice warm up spot to take a break. Instead it was a 1 1/2 miles walk from the nearest plowed road.

The second place I hunted was a 2 mile walk. There was a place to park 1 mile away but the neighboring property owner owned the road and said no.

The only one who had a short walk was my friend who usually drives the 1 1/2 miles and then through a field. This year the property owner actually lent him the use of the tractor because he's 65, bigger and is recovering from breaking his leg/knee in many places when his motorcycle went down.

The quick solution would be to ride with him but he wouldn't go in before daylight and was gone before it got dark. Oh and that would still only get me 1 mile from where I was hunting.

Next year I might stash a pop up ground blind and heater but I don't know.
 
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Barnacle Brad

New member
One item I can recommend is a micro fleece neck gaiter. This is a must in cold weather, especially sub zero. I have one that has a draw string that can be cinched up to make a cap, or you can pull it down around your neck. The other is more like a hood that extends down around the neck. It has a band of material inside that can be pulled over your chin. I carry both in my pack because I am either too cold or too warm.

We too had early snow and arctic conditions this fall. It put a damper on my enthusiasm to fill my general tag. Fortunately I filled two tags one day before that miserable weather hit us. I have gotten lucky in that kind of conditions, but it is hard to stay focused. My general tag went unfilled... and that's hunting.
 
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Doyle

New member
A lot of the guys on my MS hunting forum have gone to merino wool base layers. They aren't cheap but they really work. I'll buy a set if I can ever find one at a price I can justify to the wife.
 
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ZeroJunk

New member
There is a lot of stuff that will work. But, if you are going from active to inactive you are just about going to have to carry a big enough pack that you can pack it when you are moving and put it back on when you stop. Not much way around it.
 
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Sure Shot Mc Gee

New member
When it comes to hunting coats you get what you pay for. Think about it. How many fellows do you know who bought and hunt with a spendy rifle & scope and near freeze to death every year because they (won't) buy decent hunting coats, clothes, or boots. How many times have you seen someone wearing their everyday uninsulated work boots in the field and then complain about their feet getting wet & cold by the end of the day or perhaps by lunch time.

I bought a Browning three piece coat & bib overhauls 20 plus years ago. A time when no other manufacture even thought about such advanced hunting clothing. Typical hunting coat back then was a cheap red cloth coat with a cotton twill insulater. Rain wet one minuet and sweat wet the next. Miserable memory's wearing that type of cheap garb guaranteed.

The Browning 3-pc I bought its inside jacket is breathable cotton and 100% Northern goose down filled. Outer coat is a shell that is nothing more than a lightweight tough breathable fabric (not canvas) that has a Gore Tex lining. Bib overalls are also insulated and Gore-Tex lined also. My boots are Sorel for the cold days & LL Bean gum rubber for the warmer ones or when I intend to walk all day.

I've sat in inclement weather for years. Sometimes in tree stands. Some so high that its climber could develop a nose bleed up there in the cold wind. I also walked those same woods daylight to dark hoping I could jump something up worth taking home. Never once did I get wet or over heated in my Browning coat.
BTW: I hunt in the Northern half of the Gopher State. 62 mile due South of Fort Frances Canada. So I do know what cold and wet weather is during our State wide Deer season.

My advice is: save more $$ for your hunting outerwear than your current budget is. {Double that amount you commented} Than Buy the best. Before you consider Cabela's or Grander Mtn. Take a look at Browning products first.
 
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ZeroJunk

New member
Never once did I get wet or over heated in my Browning coat
Click to expand...

No offense, but you weren't doing much. Try climbing the side of a mountain until you heart is banging in your ears, stop until it slows, climb until it is banging in your ears, stop until it slows for half an hour or longer

Not saying that is what the man will be doing, but a lot of hunting is that way.
 
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Blindstitch

New member
Well what i'm looking for is inactive or low activity. I have the gear to cover moving around. Whatever I get will double as ice fishing gear. I don't mind spending the money if I can get something that works but I don't want to blindly order something on the internet and return it several times to get proper fit or because i'm not satisfied in it.

When I was younger I did a lot of hunting and fishing in a cheap deerskin looking jacket. Could have swore it said sealskin but looked like deerskin. And the inside was wool. Nothing special and I bet I only paid $10 at a thrift store around 1995. The jacket kept me warm in all kinds of weather fishing or hunting.

I have a lot of the accessories suggested but can't get past the jacket. It's almost like i'm living in florida and looking for alaskan gear when I hit the sporting goods stores nobody seems to stock cold weather jackets.

Browning has some items that might work. Found this jacket but I would still want to feel it first hand. http://www.browning.com/products/catalog/clothing/detail.asp?fid=A006&cid=303&tid=586#center
 
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Panfisher

New member
I have been using the heat packs made for back therapy. Very similar to the hand warmers but made to go around your back to ease aching muscles. Amazing how good it feels in the stand.
 
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Blindstitch

New member
Panfisher,
Funny you should say that. I have never put much faith in the heat packs because what happens when you're out. But I had a friend who was hunting at camp with me and swears by them.

After all day in the field we went back to camp and hung up the gear. He threw the heat pads on the bench and walked away. Two hours later I was going to throw them away and I grabbed them and they were still smoldering.

I have never actually used them. I have some and even had some in my pack then but maybe I just thought of them as snake oil. Maybe better last resort, or just in case but I suppose they are a viable option. Heck my jacket even has pockets for them if I remember right.
 
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Vt.birdhunter

New member
I use down, a compressible backpackers down jacket fits in a large pocket. I carry it when Im on the move, pull it out right before Im posting up.

Down compresses when I draw my bow instead of inhibiting movement like fleece/wool/etc.

Down pants are great too, Cabelas has down underwear pants for a reasonable price. Ive used them for years.

I pull a 25 degree (2lb, smaller than loaf of bread)sleeping bag around my legs and waist in my stand on bad days.

I have been using the heat packs made for back therapy. Very similar to the hand warmers but made to go around your back to ease aching muscles. Amazing how good it feels in the stand.
Click to expand...

I do the same with the handwarmers; one tucked in my hat, another in a breast pocket close (but not touching) to the skin.
 
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Panfisher

New member
Just for clarity I am referring to the large Therma Care pain relief wraps. Although I have used the little hot hands things especially taping one onto my socks to keep my toes warm. And in a fit of total honesty if it hits zero degrees here during I aint a going out hunting :)
 
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